Austin commune

Reece and I went to Austin this week, meeting Angela at her sister's place along with Mel, Kiley, Danijela and Luka. With Darren out of town, it was a good opportunity to physically live in community for a few days.It also was about not allowing each other to live in isolation, which can sometimes be all too easy to do, but rarely the right recipe for the soul.

We agreed to go into it with very low expectations particularly regarding sleep, our children's demeanor, and quality alone time. Good thing. The first night was a bit rough. I didn't realize how much I wiggle around in the night until then. The quite comfortable air mattress was also quite noisy. Mel, Kiley and I were in the same room with Reece around the corner near the bathroom. Every time I moved, I'm sure they heard me...and when either of them moved...well, vice versa. ; )
Made adjustments the next night which helped tremendously. Nights and naps were both short though, and coffee was an important part of our mornings to keep us from losing our marbles.Another known challenge were the 2 cats. I'm allergic. I brought a whole bag of allergy medicine to deal with it. I walked in the house and realized the cats weren't going to be the biggest issue. The fragrance of cedar immediately penetrated my nose, sinus cavities, and head. The house was made of cedar...I'm allergic. I thought I was off to a rough start, but within an hour the 24 hour meds kicked in, got rid of my headache, and worked like a charm the whole trip.

Life was simpler out there. I liked it. The second day, the gals went to the g-store while Reece napped. He had been beside himself tired. I walked around a little bit, just enjoying the simple beauty of life out there. I didn't take a picture of the crystals intentionally remembering and wanting to preserve Angela capturing it on an previous visit. They were beautiful, and I stared at them through the huge glass windows day after day.
Even the toys were simple...homemade stilts and an old-school rollerskate sitting alone on the porch.There was one toy that wasn't as peaceful...The kids loved the electric piano/organ. Many times they sat three in a row in front of that thing, banging on the keys. It was one of the many opportunies we got to teach them about sharing with one another and obeying the adults, even if not their own momma.

Baby dolls are big, big amongst these little girls and thank goodness there were plenty to go around...even for Luka. BOO!Went on several walks around the cul-de-sac, including Grammy's house a few times. Kiley was so sweet making sure Reece was comfortable and safe while sharing her seat in the stroller.The kids played with the rocks alongside the road, throwing them from one side to the other. Even without GymDandies, playgroups, slides and swings, they found plenty of ways to entertain themselves, including Luka. And we found ways to entertain ourselves...Danijela and Kiley played pretty well together while Reece was happy with a cup. It was a relatively short moment, but a very precious one nevertheless.Austin has some great parks, and both outings had free parking and admission, although not our goal. As if I need to say it, Austin is a cool place. Zilker Park was a great time. We rode a train around the park, had lunch with the pigeons and one relentless bee, and waded in an incredibly refreshing natural spring-fed pool.The spring fed pool was my personal favorite, as I navigated Danijela on one hand and Reece with the other through the cool, rushing water. Kiley waded through the water and climbed over those rocks like she was in her element. She is so sure-footed, and I was impressed indeed. Angela got some shots of us in the water (I hope to update with some) as she kept Luka shaded from the bright sun. And, I got one of him.The next day, although we didn't realize it when we set out, the Nature and Science Center was on the same grounds. They were some reptiles, a coyote, rabbits, raccoons, and foxes (to name a few) for the kids to see.They had fun running around...sometimes at the defiance of their mother's request.The dino sand pit was a hit. There were 'dinosaur bones' buried in the sand and lots of 'tools' for the kids to uncover them. Thankfully there was a big shaded spot which provided much relief from the hot sun.It was a good, but exhausting day. Mel and I packed up, said our good-byes and headed back home that afternoon hoping to catch afternoon naps on our separate drives. We hit a major accident which had us at a standstill on the road for over an hour. Reece was awake the whole time, while Kiley slept right through it. We stopped later for a diaper change and some dinner, and then he finally fell asleep on the last leg.

So how was our week living in community? It was good. It also was exhausting. In some ways it was easier and in some ways it was harder. I would without hesitation do it again.

It was good to live together, love together, encourage together, and struggle together. It was good to share duties, food, toys, and baths. It was good to be there to pick up where another was dragging. It was good for the children to begin to listen, respect and obey other adults, especially these two.

I would have liked to stay another day or two. I felt like we had just started to let go and settle in. I liked that feeling of loosening the chains of how we normally do things and allowing ourselves to begin to operate more as one family under one roof. I'm going to work at keeping them off.